المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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Settlement Weekly Report 28 Feb. _ 6 Marchruary, 2025
By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that displacement has become the central priority in the Tel Aviv government’s policy toward Palestinians in the West Bank. This was made clear in a reckless speech delivered by FM and Minister for Settlement Affairs in the Ministry of Army, Bezalel Smotrich, before settlement leaders on Feb 17. In his remarks, Smotrich appeared to announce what he portrayed as a fundamental shift in the Israeli government’s political program.
According to Smotrich, who enjoys broad support from Benjamin Netanyahu, displacement is no longer merely one of three options he discussed in what has become known as the ‘Decisive Plan’, but has become an official policy targeting the Palestinian presence as a whole. Smotrich delivered this speech during a ceremony held by the Religious Zionist Party in the settlement of Psagot, on land belonging to the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, to celebrate what was described as a ‘settlement revolution’.
This revolution includes the establishment of dozens of new settlements, the strengthening of agricultural outposts, and the consolidation of Jewish control in the West Bank. Hundreds of current and former settler leaders participated in the event, along with Smotrich himself and the Minister of Settlement Affairs and National Development, Orit Strock. At that event, Smotrich announced a political goal for his country in the next phase, should the ruling coalition win the upcoming Knesset elections.
Adding, ‘I present to you one of our goals for the next term, to eliminate the idea of an Arab state, to cancel the Oslo Accords, and to move towards imposing sovereignty, while encouraging immigration from Gaza as well as from the West Bank. In the long term, there is no other solution.’ During his speech, Smotrich also presented the settlement plan until 2030, revealing that on the fourth of Nisan ‘according to the Hebrew calendar’, 17 families would be moving into the settlement of Sanur in the northern West Bank.
Smotrich’s speech represents a clear reversal in the occupation government’s policy compared to the ‘Decisive Plan’ he formulated in 2017 and began implementing in his capacity as Minister of Settlement Affairs in the Ministry of Army and Netanyahu’s authorized representative for the Civil Administration. While that plan focused on resolving the conflict with the Palestinians through expanding settlements and limiting displacement to Palestinians who refused to relinquish their national aspirations, Smotrich has now declared that displacement is an option for all Palestinians in the West Bank.
This reflects a clear shift in his plan, from a ‘party plan’ to an official government policy targeting the entire population. The plan was based on limiting displacement to a specific category, and his speech in the settlement of Psagot came to generalize this policy to the Palestinians without exception. He considered that the Israeli ‘sovereignty’ that he dreams of is not achieved by security alone, but rather through a plan to displace all Palestinians, and to re-engineer the demographic reality in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in a way that closes the opportunities for a settlement based on the two-state solution and turns the West Bank into a new Galilee without identity and without rights for the Palestinians in it.
Within the context comes the policy of brutal land confiscation, confining Palestinians to isolated enclaves and plunging them into suffocating economic crises that drive the younger generation in particular to emigrate. Smotrich’s plan doesn’t stop there, it extends to destroying the economic cycle in the West Bank. On the one hand, tax revenues ‘clearance funds’ are being plundered, and on the other hand, workers are being prevented from returning to work inside the Green Line. This plan is being pushed through the Knesset and various ministries by enacting laws that reduce reliance on Palestinian workers in sectors like construction and eliminate fees for foreign workers’ permits, all to increase the demand for work in Israel and compensate for the labor shortage.
Also coming are the brutal practices of the settlers in particular and all other Israeli practices in general, such as the demolition of homes and facilities and the expansion of the policy of confining Palestinians to ghettos through iron gates, barriers, earth mounds, raids, arbitrary arrests and other practices, which are befitting the authority of gangs, and which have resulted in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and throughout the period since Oct. 7, 2023, in the martyrdom of more than 1,120 Palestinians, and the injury of about 11,700 others, in addition to the arrest of about 22,000 Palestinians in light of the continuation of closures that deepen the isolation of cities and villages, and turn them effectively into something like open prisons.
Settlers bear a significant share of responsibility for these brutal practices, which complement the actions of the occupation army and police, whose violence has never ceased and foreshadows the worst-case scenarios this year. Last week, two Palestinian brothers, Moh’d Taha Abdul-Majid Muamar, 52, who was shot in the head, and his brother Fahim Muamar, 47, who was shot in the pelvis, were killed during a settler attack on homes in the village of Qariot, south of Nablus. Three other Palestinians were wounded by settler gunfire during the attack. With the deaths of the Muamar brothers, the number of Palestinians killed by settlers since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 41.
The cold-blooded murders committed by the occupation army and settler gangs have not stopped this year. In addition to Moh’d and Fahim Muamar from Qaryiot, the following have been martyred since the beginning of the year: Khattab Moh’d Sarhan Daraghmeh, 26, from Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya in the Nablus Governorate; Shaker Falah Ahmad al-Ja’bari, 58, from Khallat Hadour in Hebron, Moh’d Sa’ad Sami al-Na’san, 14, from Al-Mughayyir village in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, Jibril Ahmad Jabr Qat, 59, a resident of Madma village in the Nablus Governorate, Moh’d Rajih Nasrallah, 20, from Adh-Dhahiriya town in the Hebron Governorate, Qusai Maher Ismail Halaika, 28, a resident of Ash-Shuyukh town in the Hebron Governorate, Omar Zuhair Juma’a Munia, 20, a resident of Qalqilia; Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh, 24, a resident of Jericho; Moh’d Kamal Shreim, 18, from Qalqilia; and Moh’d Ibrahim Salim Abu Dalakh, 13, residents of the village of Jiftlik in Jericho Governorate, citizen Nasrallah Moh’d Jamal Abu Siam, 19, from Mikhmas in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, child Moh’d Wahbi Abdul Aziz Hanani, 17, from Beit Furik in Nablus Governorate, citizen Tamer Ismail Qaisia, 19 old, from the town of Al-Dhahiriya, and Moh’d Jihad Musalima, 25, from the Dura town in Hebron Governorate.
All of this falls within the framework of pushing Palestinians into a corner under the illusion that they will be forced to submit to the plans of the occupying power according to its new policies. These policies, implemented by Israel in the West Bank under this most extreme right-wing government in the history of the occupation state, have led to the displacement of more than 4,000 Palestinians from their homes in 51 communities that have been completely depopulated, and in 14 other communities that have been partially depopulated.
This violence is perpetrated daily against Palestinians in the West Bank, while the international community stands idly by. It has also resulted in the deaths of more than 1,120 Palestinians and injuries to approximately 11,700 others, in addition to the arrest of some 22,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, amidst ongoing closures that deepen the isolation of cities and villages, effectively turning them into something resembling open-air prisons.
In a continuation of settlement plans linked to the policy of displacement, the occupation forces are proceeding with the construction of a settlement road east of the town of Tammun, south of Tubas. The occupation began work on this road about 2 months ago, with the intention of building a wall starting from the Ein Shibli checkpoint and extending towards the Tayasir checkpoint, east of Tubas.
Noting that at the end of last year, the occupation authorities issued notices of confiscation for about 1,042 dunams of Palestinian land to construct this settlement road and a section of the wall that runs through the area.
This comes in response to a recommendation from the Israeli army’s Strategic Planning Division to expand what it calls a ‘security zone’ in the Jordan Valley, following a court ruling to confiscate the lands of Khirbet Atouf and the Al-Buqai’a area, effectively seizing Palestinian land in the Jordan Valley. This move is not a recent development, but rather part of a broader plan prepared by the Israeli army’s Northern Command two years ago to create a buffer zone between the eastern highlands of the West Bank and the Jordan River.
The Strategic Planning Division’s latest initiative involves seizing approximately 3,000 dunams of land in Khirbet Atouf and converting it into a ‘closed military zone’ off-limits to Palestinians. The plan also includes the construction of new infrastructure to serve settler traffic and connect the Beka’ot settlement to other settlements in the northern Jordan Valley.
Israeli Channel 12 quoted a senior officer in the Civil Administration as saying, ‘This area constitutes a serious security gap, as Palestinian control over it allows for arms smuggling operations and threatens the security of settlements in the area.’ The newspaper ‘Israel Hayom’, which is close to the PM, described the decision as a ‘necessary preemptive step’ in light of what it called ‘the escalating Iranian threat on the eastern front’, with its military analyst describing control of the heights and the area as invaluable and giving the army depth in any future confrontation with Iran, according to his claim.
Within the context, the human rights organization B’Tselem described the decision to seize this vast area as ‘a blatant theft of Palestinian land under the guise of law.’ It asserted that ‘the Israeli High Court of Justice has become a political arm of the settlement enterprise, especially after refusing to hear Palestinian petitions and giving the army the green light to proceed with its course of action, cloaking its military orders in the garb of justice’. For its part, Human Rights Watch affirmed that ‘using the pretext of ‘war on Iran’ to confiscate private Palestinian land is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits violations of international humanitarian law.’
Watch condemned the judiciary’s complicity with the occupying army in serving the settlement project by transforming 3,000 dunams of land in Khirbet Atouf into a ‘closed military zone’, creating new facts on the ground that would make the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state impossible. International humanitarian law prohibits an occupying power from confiscating civilian property except for genuine military necessity and on a temporary basis. As for turning Palestinian citizens’ agricultural lands into permanently closed military zones, this has no meaning other than displacing the population and expanding settlements, which amounts to a war crime, according to the organization.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Demolishing order for a tent belonging to the Burj al-Luqluq Association in the Bab Hutta area of the Old City. The tent, which has been in place for many years, is a vital and central facility for the association, hosting numerous training sessions and cultural, social, artistic, and sporting activities. Noting that Israeli forces closed the Burj al-Luqluq Association a few days ago for 6 months, by order of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- Confiscating new lands for settlement projects and the expansion of biblical gardens in Wadi Qaddum and al-Bustan.
- Attacking a Bedouin community northeast of the city, injuring 2 Palestinians. Eyewitnesses reported that the attack was carried out under the protection of Israeli forces and involved intimidating residents and attempting to expel shepherds from their lands.
Hebron:
- Setting fire to tents belonging to Palestinian residents in the al-Dhahiriya area, south of Hebron, in an attack targeting the residents and attempting to ignite the tents. Others attacked the Abu Ubaid family in the Khirbet al-Taban area of Masafer Yatta, assaulting family members near their homes and causing widespread fear and panic.
- Confiscating a tractor and a Suzuki vehicle in the Um Qussa area of the desert southeast of Hebron, claiming they had entered a designated nature reserve, despite their use for agricultural purposes.
- Releasing their sheep and causing damage to property and crops in the village of Sikka, south of Hebron.
- Attacking members of the Makhamra and Awad families while they were grazing their livestock in the Kherbit Asfi and Mughayir al-Ubaid in Masafer Yatta, assaulting them and attempting to steal their animals.
- Chasing shepherds in Khirbet Aqwawis, while others stormed several homes in the village of Al-Halawa, vandalizing their contents and destroying quantities of dried yogurt.
- Attacking residents east of the Idhna town and attempted to steal a flock of sheep in the Far’a area after seizing land there and establishing an outpost. Settlers also erected a new tent in the outpost established on land in the Hamroush area of the town of Sa’ir.
- Injuring 3 children, Moh’d Adra, 13, Ibrahim al-Adra, 11, and Hamada al-Adra, 14 in an attack by settlers in the Rahoum Ali area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and were taken to Yatta Governmental Hospital.
Bethlehem:
- Attacking shepherds in the Al-Maniya area south of Bethlehem and attempted to seize several sheep.
- Estroying the home of Nazir Shalalda, as they stormed the town of Za’tara, placing Israeli flags on concrete walls in the Al-Malha area in a provocative act against the residents.
- Bulldozing agricultural land in the Wadi al-Hummus area near Dar Salah and the village of Al-Khas, east of Bethlehem. The land, planted with olive trees and located behind the separation wall, covers an area of 20 dunams and belongs to residents of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher.
Ramallah:
- Attacking Palestinian vehicles in the village of Al-Mughayyir, while several residents were injured by settler gunfire and tear gas canisters fired by the Israeli army to provide cover for the attackers. The village of Sinjil was also attacked with stones by masked settlers who targeted Palestinian homes.
- Storming a house in a provocative act that caused tension in the village of Ein Sinya.
- Attacking the Wadi al-Ain area on the outskirts of the Rammon village, assaulting Muhammad Daoud Kahla, causing him bruises and cuts, before stealing his sheep. Villagers confronted the settlers and managed to recover the sheep.\
- Attacking the Taybeh town and spread out around Palestinian homes, seizing a horse and a foal from in front of one of the houses.
Nablus:
- Killing Moh’d Taha Abdul Majid Muamar, 52 after being shot in the head, and his brother Fahim, 47, during an attack by settlers on the village of Qaryiot. Local sources said that groups of settlers stormed the outskirts of the village and began bulldozing land. In the neighboring village of Jalud, a number of citizens sustained bruises while confronting a settler attack on the village. The settlers set fire to a warehouse and a vehicle, causing a fire that was later brought under control.
- Injuring 2 foreign solidarity activists and 2 Palestinian citizens following a brutal attack by settlers in the Ras al-Ain area of the town of Qusra. The injured were transferred for treatment. Sources in the Red Crescent reported that their crews treated an elderly woman, 71, and a man, 51d.
- Attacking and assaulted citizen Ali. Zawahra, and detained him along with 4 other young men in the Al-Shajara village, prevented ambulance crews from reaching the injured, and in the same context cut off the electricity to the Shakara Community south of Nablus.
Jenin:
- Notifying to seize 2.8 dunams of land belonging to the town of Jaba’, under the pretext of located near the entrance to the ‘Tarsala site’, adjacent to the road connecting the cities of Jenin and Nablus. Constructing and paving a road at the ‘Tarsala site,, following the announcement of the occupation’s intention to re-establish settlements in the area, which was evacuated in 2005.
Salfeet:
- Vandalizing a water meter belonging to farmers in Wadi Qana, north of Deir Istiya, breaking and damaging it in the Mughr al-Asmar area.
- Attacking farmers on their land in the al-Khalal area, west of Kafr ad-Dik, seizing their agricultural equipment and forcibly expelling them from the land at gunpoint. They then confiscated the spraying machines and other agricultural tools the farmers were using.
Jordan Valley:
- Fencing large areas of grazing land in the northern Jordan Valley, specifically in the Al-Hamma area, to prevent farmers from accessing them. Others have begun fencing off land in the Um al-Jamal area.
- Attacking residents of the Al-Hamma community in the northern Jordan Valley, targeting their homes and property. They assaulted families by spraying them with pepper spray and throwing stones at them, in addition to damaging homes in Khirbet al-Farsiya.
- Assaulting a young man, injuring him with a stone, after attacking families in the in the Hammamat al-Malih area. Others grazed their cattle on agricultural crops in Khirbet Yarza, east of Tubas, causing material damage.
- Storming pastures in the Khirbet al-Ras al-Ahmar, southeast of Tubas area, assaulted shepherds, and forced them to leave after spraying them with pepper spray, resulted in injuring 5 Palestinians, 3 of whom were hospitalized.
